Kristen Lunceford
Since the beginning of time Mankind has been given a choice. It started with Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:15 when God tells them that they may eat from any tree in the garden, just not from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There in the garden were two main trees: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. A choice. With one was given the option to choose life…and there was no restriction from it! On the opposing side was the tree that would lead to death, and there was an absolute restriction from it. The scene was set, and the choice for humanity could now be made: Life and life in abundance with the Creator, himself, or a life in constant search of fulfillment that would never come…until death. With one bite Adam and Eve made their choice. It wasn’t life.
Here in the beginning sets a theme that we can see throughout the rest of scripture: the choice.
We see this theme repeat itself in Deuteronomy with Moses as he addresses the newly released Israelites. In Deuteronomy chapter 30, we see that the Lord has given his people his laws. He has foretold that they will break them. He has warned that discipline will come. He tells them that even after their rejection of him, He will renew their spirits, yet the Lord still pleads with Israel to change their future course. He wants them to choose life. He wants them to choose Him. He says in verses 19b-20, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live (emphasis added) and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Here again the options are presented: Life and life in abundance, or death. We know that shortly after this, Israel makes its choice. It is not life. It is not God.
Once again, in Joshua, before the Israelites are set out to enter into their new land, they are given the same choice. Joshua actually does a historical replay of all the rejection and disobedience that Israel displayed, in Joshua chapter 24. He shows them the consequences of their rejection, the consequences that brought pain and death, and once again, pleads with them to make a different choice: to choose life! Joshua 24:14-15 says, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” Joshua then makes his own personal declaration. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Once again, we see the presented option of life and death. In this very speech, in this critical moment before all of Israel, Joshua makes his choice. Would Israel?
Throughout the entire Old Testament, the nature of man is revealed. We choose death. We choose pain. We choose separation. The Lord gave us a choice and we made it: at one point or another it wasn’t him. Thankfully for us, the Lord does not give up. He is persistent in his pursuit of us. He is desperate for us to choose life. In John 3:16 Jesus says to Nicodemus, a man who was also called the make a choice, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The choice is once again revealed but this time it is for ALL humanity: life or death.
See, we all have been given a choice. It’s the same one since the beginning of time. All of us are called to make that decision…we cannot just sit idly by. Whether we like it or not, the choice will be made. We all choose to surrender to something. We either choose to surrender to that which will overcome us, or we choose to surrender to the One who has already overcome. Either way, surrender is necessary. Either way we are called to give up what we hold dear: ourselves. However, one of the options we surrender to has our best interests at heart. He seeks to give life. The other? Well, the other does not seek to give life. It demands it from us. It takes; it never gives.
The exact same call that was given to Adam, Eve, Israel, Joshua, Nicodemus, and every other person in scripture is the exact same call you are receiving now. You’ve been given a choice. The Lord is pleading with you to choose life. The question is: What’s your answer?
Kristen
